Advanced Cosmetic Technologies, ACT Hair Color P3nwd, Oops, I mean Reviewed

September 2, 2009 by Karissa
Filed under Reviews

I don’t usually waste my time with negative reviews. I think they clog my chi, and I don’t need negativity breeding itself here. I like to keep things upbeat and fun, and happy. I want you all to come here and smile, not see a bunch of posts about how crappy something is. I just generally choose not to review the stuff I don’t like.

But with this product, i really had to draw the line. It sucks. It sucks really bad. And you need to be warned and you need to warn anyone you know that might attempt to use it. ACT Hair Color. Advanced Cosmetic Technologies. Or as their website says, Actnaturals.com

I was approached quite a while ago about doing a review on their natural plant based permanent hair color. I haven’t colored my hair in years, and sort of made a silent promise to myself that I would only start to color it when I got enough gray for me to want to hide it. So this ACT formula sounded promising enough, 100% plant based combined with their “technology”. This hair dye is free of para-phenylenediamine (PPD), ammonia and resorcinol.

Yet, when I heard there was a new natural, plant based hair color that was being offered to me as a review, I was tickled.

and it sat in my bathroom, waiting for me to use it. For whatever reason, I kept putting it off and putting it off. First it was my trip to Florida. I was afraid dying it before laying in the sun would be a bad idea. then we got back and I loved my tan, and sunkissed hair, that I made more excuses. I didn’t even know they were excuses until I got my ol hindsight 20/20 going on.

Me before:

So Sunday night, I had just finished wrapping some chores up and decided I would go forth and sail away with a box of color. Mind you, I didn’t chose a drastic color, I am was a light medium brown, with carmel and a tinge of red, and this box was “light brown natural.”

So nothing to be afraid of right? ha! So I thought. I was even doing a Vlog about it so I could share the whole process with you, thinking positive thoughts, and that I was going to have fab luscious hair after wards.

First complaint, the dye is really runny. Now mind you, if the hair dye did was it was supposed to do, I would let this one slide, but since it sucks, you are going to get the whole ball of wax.

It was runny and hard to keep on my hair.

Then I had to apply heat for 35 minutes, in 5 minute intervals, So 5 minutes heat, 5 minutes rest, 5 minutes heat… so on. So I do this, but man, what a pain in the toosh. BUT again, if I liked the finishes result, I could suck it up right?

So I am finishes with the heating portion, so I hop in the shower. It literally took 25 minutes of running water to rinse my hair until it even started to look like clear water. My shower stall was a dyed black nightmare. I don’t even own bleach, and yet my grout was stained. I was even using my hand held WaterPik, but there was just so much BLACK DYE. (remember I told you I had received Light Brown Natural?) So, I found a bottle of Soft Scrub that had bleach in it, from the previous owners of this house, and scrubbed my shower for at least 30 minutes. Floor, tiles and grout. Then I thought well, I will rinse my hair again, thinking there is no way there is enough dye to stain the shower again….

Silly me! So I rinse>shampoo and rinse and rinse and rinse. I am then so mortified my jet back/blue hair, and the condition my hair was in, not just the color, but the texture that I was near tears. I slathered on conditioner, and waiting for a few minutes. Then rinsed again, for 10 minutes. Still was getting black water. Finally Craig came in and scrubbed at my hair and head for a while, as I was beat! We finally got the water to a murky gray, and called it a night. My hair felt worse then straw. it was almost sticky, and just felt so unhealthy. Mind you, I don’t hardly use styling products on my hair, and when I do they are all natural, so my hair is pretty stinkin healthy. I was mortified. I am mortified, and sad!

yes, I am totally pouting.

So Monday comes around I email the PR rep for them, and she emails me back really quickly and lets me know that the owner will be in touch either that night or the next day.

So the next day I get an email: His very non-convincing, tight lipped, “sorry, but” didn’t really come across to me as someone that wants to make their customers, and hell a reporter/writer happy. He told me it was unusual, and sometimes hair can come out a little darker, if it is more porous. Well I know that much, if you have dry dead ends, it soaks the color up, but the top of my head was BLACK, my ends were black and blue, my whole head looked like I was dressed up for halloween! Plus this wasnt just a “little bit darker” , this is a while different color!

He did tell me I could use vinegar to release the color. Craig being the doll he is, went out and bought some for me. I used a whole gallon that night. poured it, rubbed it in, let it set, then rinse, repeat etc. Every time I was getting happier and happier seeing all the dye running down the drain.

Then I look in the mirror? No not green, still JET BLACK. apparently all it stripped out some of the excess color, a portion of what was making my hair feel so sticky. So Tuesday I wake up, wash my hair, condition it, when I am smoothing the conditioner through, I realize it is black. So wash again, and condition again. (out of vinegar)

**I emailed the owner to let him know that the vinegar was not working and asked for a suggestion…. I even sent a before pic and and after pic. That was at approximately noon Tuesday. Here it is Wednesday morning, and I never heard back.

I am going to keep at the vinegar for a bit to see if it loosens any more. I hope it will. I know my hair will never be as healthy as it was prior, and I know it will never be back to light brown, at least until this shit called color gets cut out. I may call myself “Prissy” but I truly don’t get bent out of shape over things like this. What I am most bent out of shape with, customer service. Shame on Jeff Greaves for not calling me, for not making sure the vinegar worked.

Part of this post is vent, and the greater majority is WARNING against using this product, be very wary of what you might be getting your hair into. This product did in fact ruin the color of my hair, changed it from light brown to black, and severely damaged the healthy of my mane too. I am devestated and should have known better. I mean afterall, Jeff Greaves doesn’t know shit about hair…. what he does besides make bad hair products? works in the food industry with…? natural dyes and food flavoring.

So today, I decided, to make the best of it, continue to rinse it out, bash warn of his crappy product to anyone that wants to listen. So I got some really bitchin make-up, and decided to play with it, and feel pretty for the first time in a few days! Still hate the color of my hair, but hey, what can I do a this point? If I was resourceful enough, i would go to a salon and have them strip it, and condition it, but I can’t afford that!

All Makeup, and yes I really do mean ALL, is by KORRESusa.com